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After starting my travels, I’ve become increasingly interested in learning how to take pictures of the sky at night. This is referred to as astrophotography, and is an increasingly difficult skill to learn. Recently, I’m trying to learn how to take photography myself, and I’m going to try and share what I’ve learned here with you.

Of course as a traveller, I don’t have access to a range of fancy equipment. Whilst I do have a DSLR at home, I don’t like to carry it with me as it’s likely to get damaged relatively easily. So, it’s much easier to just carry my iPhone with me and use that instead!

Of course with an iPhone, you aren’t guaranteed to get good pictures if you’re not using it to the best of it’s capabilities. There are other things that you’ll want to consider to ensure that you’re getting the best out of your iPhone. If you have the cash, then you consider getting yourself a cheap telescope, but you don’t have to do this. So, here are a few tips that I’ve picked up along the way that can help you with taking iPhone pictures of the night sky.

A Picture Editing App

Undoubtedly the most important thing that you need if you’re going to be taking pictures of the night sky with your iPhone is to get an app that can help you edit the photography itself. If you’re on android, then you want to look at getting camera fv-5. But if you’re on the iPhone, then a better option is to look at something like Nightcap.

Nightcap allows you to actually edit some of the settings of your camera whilst you’re taking the pictures. This is really important, as you will need to change some settings because the low light needs different settings than if you were to shoot in the daytime. For example, with NightCap you can actually edit the ISO of your images which makes it a lot clearer in the dark.

Having an app that you can edit the settings of your photos is undoubtedly the first step that you’ll need to take in your journey to get awesome astrophotography images.

A Tripod

One of the main issues that you’ll have with using an iPhone to take pictures is that it’s just not going to give a stable image. This is fine for normal photos, but with astrophotography even the slightest bit of movement can have a massive effect on the image itself. So, it only makes sense that you find something that can help stabilize the picture.

The best thing for me was purchasing a tripod. This helps to sabilize the image and stopped any blurring effect, which is really common if you use your hands only. You don’t necessarily need anything ultra expensive either – a cheap tripod from Amazon will do.

Clear Skies

Something that’s a necessity but also very underrated when considering taking pictures is the sky itself. You’ll need to ensure that the sky is clear, otherwise you’re not going to get any clear photos whatsoever.

Overall, this is one of the most important things that you need to do to ensure that you get some good quality photos!

I’ve been in Brighton for the past week, and I’ve had the opportunity to try a lot of the foods that they have to offer here. Brighton is known for being one of the best spots to visit if you want to get out of London for a bit, so it only made sense for me to come down here for a visit whilst I’m travelling through London.

If you’ve never been to Brighton before, then you’re missing out! It’s pretty well known for it’s nightlife and of course, for it’s pier and waterfront. And with any good waterfront comes a host of different ice creeam parlours to try.

I don’t need to be asked twice, and after my partner bought me a cheap ice cream maker in the summer I’ve been hankering for more and more ice cream. Of course, the ice cream I make myself isn’t quite on par with professional ice cream, so I tried a few of the best ice cream parlours in Brighton whilst I was there.

Cloud 9

Cloud 9 is one of the better known places to grab a delicious ice cream when you’re in Brighton. But they don’t just deal in ice cream – the shop is dedicated to selling anything sugary and sweet. They have some of the best cake around (I can vouch for that, don’t you worry!).

You can choose between a traditional cone, or if you’re trying to avoid gluten like me, then you can instead choose to have your ice cream in a tub. Whilst it isnt cheap, it’s definitely one of the best ice creams that you’re going to find when you’re in Brighton.

2. Jojo’s Gelato

Jojo’s in another awesome choice if you’re looking for a true gelataria. You can find it over on Western Road, which is one of the more well known roads in Brighton.

They’re probably best known for having some of the craziest recipes when it comes to ice cream, with their Red Bull sorbet being amongst some of the weirdest tasting sorbets that you’ll have tasted. They also have a pomegranite sorbet that’s to die for, so if you’re there it’s probably worth giviing it a try.

3. Scoop and Crumb

Another one of the more known places to visit when you’re in Brighton is Scoop and Crumb. They have a wide variety of different ice creams and cakes (as the name suggests!). You can see some of the more ‘alternative’ flavors above, with the apple and plum crumble being some of the more popular!

One of the more annoying things about this place is that there was no free wifi, which probably isn’t an issue for most but it was for me whilst I was there!

I’m hoping to extend this list next time I get the chance to head down that way, but for now, here’s 3 of the best ice cream parlours in Brighton.

Herschel and Jansport are by far two of the most popular brands when it comes to backpacks. There aren’t many other brands out there that can rival them in terms of sheer popularity. But are these two brands really all they’re made out to be? And is one of them better quality than the other, or are they relatively similar?

Both Herschel and Jansport are good choice if you’re looking for a casual backpack to wear travelling. They’re relatively well made, and they’ll certainly get you through the year if you’re just looking for something to throw over your shoulder and go. Neither of these brands will suit if you’re looking for something heavy duty, but if you want something fashionable, then you can consider Herschel and Jansport.

So, Herschel and Jansport are two similar brands competing in the same industry. But what are the differences between the companies, and are their models relatively similar or are there some differences between them that we should be aware of? Lets take a look at the brand history of each company, then look at some of their best selling products.

Brand History

Jansport originated back in the late sixties, which makes their company over 50 years old now. It wasn’t until the mid 80s (1986) that they were sold to the VF Corporation. If you haven’t of VFC, then you’ll be surprised that they dominate the market when it comes to backpacks.

They are the parent company for the North Face, Timberland and Eastpak, which gives them a huge percentage of the backpack market in the United States and globally.

Herschel however, come from much humbler beginnings that Jansport, which were already owned by a big company before their purchase. As crazy as it sounds, Herschel was only created as a company back in 2009.

That means that in less that 10 years, they’ve catapulted to the front of the backpack industry, where they specialise in hipster style backpacks. Although their market share is nowhere near that of Jansport, it is still impressive for such a young company.

Jansport

If you’re looking for a decent Jansport backpack, then you’re in the right place. Lets take a quick look at some of Jansport’s most popular models.

Jansport Backpacks

The most popular that Jansport have produced as known as the Superbreak – it’s plain and simple, but it does the job.

The reason that the Superbreak has become so popular is likely due to it’s simplicity. Now, it’s one of the most popular backpacks of all time, so it must have some decent qualities to it.

The Superbreaks main selling point is that it’s going to last you for a long time. It’s apparently 3x the industry standard in terms of quality, which does mean that it’s likely to last you an extremely long time. They’ve been selling this product for years, and if you’ve ever owned a superbreak then you’ll know that they’re made to last.

Apart from that, they’re actually remarkably simple in the way that they’re designed and made. There isn;t too much too them, apart from the standard pocket at the front. It’s enough to fit a laptop, but you aren’t going to get an additional sleeve and everything is all in one compartment.

It’s a great option for those that need a simple backpack for their daily activities that isn’t going to break easily.

Herschel

If you want a more retro style backpack, then it’s worth looking into Herschel as a brand. They produce some high quality backpacks that are available at a pretty decent price, too.

One of the more popular Herschel backpacks is the Little America, which is perfect if you like the retro American style. The backpack also has a separate flask section where you could put some tea, or even some fair trade coffee.

Unlike the simplicity of the Jansport Superbreak, the Little America is a bit more complex – it has a variety of different pockets, a laptop sleeve and some buckles to help keep the backpack closed. Its another of the top backpacks around if you’re looking for something with a few more compartments than your plain backpack.

Conclusion

Overall, it is difficult to decide between these two companies as which one is the ‘best’. This is increasingly difficult, because both brands are extremely similar in the way that they are made and there really isn’t much of a difference in them at all.

The one thing we can clarify is that both of these brands are fashion backpacks. They’re not suitable for the outdoors. If this is what you’re looking for, then you might want to look elsewhere. Other brands more suited for the outdoors that you might want to consider for a backpack are Patagonia and Columbia.

But all in all, if you want a fashionable backpack that you can wear to college or work, then it’s worth looking at both Herschel and Jansport, as they produce some of the best backpacks on the market.

Picture yourself as a young, scrawny child, perhaps seven years old. You have grown up in a country that most people associate merely with a movie of the same alias.

Concocted visions of chanting lemurs and escaped zoo animals populate their minds, and a thicket of green flora replaces the veritable rust of the island. Madagascar is indeed a beautiful and wild place, but to say that the animated movie bore any resemblance to the imagery of the country is to betray the real Malagasy people.

In fact, it is a sovereign country in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southern Africa, and comprises a landmass approximately twenty-one times the size of Massachusetts. I was fortunate enough to visit some of the northern parts of Madagascar in the summer of 2010, while trying to volunteer my rudimentary medical skills.

Aware beforehand that Madagascar has consistently been ranked among the ten poorest countries in the world, I knew that things would be different, but could never have foreseen the broad nexus of learning that takes place when one is thrown into a culture that is literally and figuratively at the farthest possible reaches from New England.

Remember, you are just seven years old, and the combination of incessant sunbeams and ubiquitous rust-colored mud have left a semi-permanent crust all over your skin. Being dirty is just part of every happy childhood, but in Madagascar it is taken to new heights. After all, there is no such thing as “indoors” in this ultra-rural setting.

Taking a sponge bath in the nearby stream would be futile at best and contaminating to your drinking water at worst. Playing outside is what you do best, given that there is no teacher to occupy you in school aside from the sporadic white volunteers who come and hold class in the otherwise empty schoolhouse. Relative to other Malagasy children you’re not really at such a disadvantage.

Even in the larger towns, school is hardly run for more than a few hours a day. The government just can’t afford to pay the teachers any more than that. Regardless of how much you have studied, by age ten or eleven you will start working in the local economy as a farmer, miner, or perhaps start a small business along the roadside selling things from town or commodities such as cell phone recharges.

Home for the past few years for this child has been the village of Maventibao (mah-ven-tee-boh), where I spent some of my time as a volunteer. It is situated near the northern tip of Madagascar in high grassy hills, roaming with the hump-backed Zebu cows that you help to herd and will someday eat.

These hills also tend to conceal rich sapphire deposits; when you were little you used to enjoy sitting in the dirt and trying to pick out the little bluish gray stones. A three-hour hike is required to reach this particular hill, since no roads or electricity have yet extended into these parts. The cluster of 12 grass huts comprises the entire community of roughly fifty inhabitants, most of whom are sapphire miners, and consequently the population tends to swell or diminish according to where the latest minerals were found.

What makes this community special is that Mada Clinics, a British-supported charity organization, has set up a health clinic for the surrounding area that is based in this tiny town.

The double boon of living in a sapphire-rich area with a proximate interface to healthcare has put you leaps ahead of many youngsters in Madagascar. Even in this region, most have to hike the better part of a day to reach the clinic, or wait for the date when clinic staff will hike over the grassy hills to spend the day seeing patients in a different village. Luckily, you have never had to experience severe malnutrition either, since mining provides your family with a meager but steady income to buy rice, and the clinic volunteers hand you a “bonbon” twice a month (really a vitamin, but you only care about how sweet it tastes).

A year ago, however, your family was particularly glad to live only steps away from the clinic when you became ill with a fever and chills. Your mother took you straight away to see the nurse and his foreign assistant, who dispensed a little box of malaria pills for you to swallow after having pricked your finger and stealing a little blood. Two days later, you were only feeling sicker and your words were making little sense. Now your mother was directed to bring you to a hospital, so after being carried to the road to hail down a bush taxi, you rode for five bumpy hours to stay with some relatives in the capital city of the north, Antsiranana.

A Malagasy hospital is a locus of culture in many ways. Family and class structure, life, and death are intermingled unreservedly. While you share a bed with your mother during your stay in the inpatient unit of the pediatric service, others rest under the bed, behind the door, and in the hallways, all of which are connected in the open-air compound. Women sit on grass mats concocting food for the patient and extended family, and healthier little ones wander in and out.

Upon being admitted to the unit, the physician had scrawled out a lengthy prescription on a leaf of tissue-thin paper, and one of your aunts made the trip to the pharmacy to purchase all the required goods. Alongside antibiotics and other drugs, this list asked for cotton, bandages, IV fluids, syringes, and even a small vial of pure rum for the nurses to use as antiseptic. Needless to say, your family does not have health insurance, and this process has already come to a meaningful sum.

The hospital is evidently not stocked in the same way that an American hospital would be. The materials actually owned by the hospital can fit all together on a small cart: scissors, a stethoscope, a thin notebook of handwritten patient notes, a suction machine and one cylinder of oxygen.

While it is surprising at first to witness how slim the provided materials and services are, families are tirelessly devoted to the tasks of changing sheets, mixing medications and generally tending to the patient as would a nurse, as this is what is expected of them.

Luckily this small child only spent a few days in the hospital surrounded by aunts and uncles, before he was healthy and on his way back to Maventibao village. In general some families appear in bigger numbers than others, but particularly when a patient is expected to die, hordes of family members will reside in the hallways and surround the patient’s bedside.

After one has gotten used to the suffocating attention constantly lavished on the patient by family members, it comes as a shock to see their collective response to death. Superstition coexists with monotheistic religion in Madagascar, and it is the tendency toward superstition that dictates contact with death as being the highest taboo.

Therefore when someone passes away in a hospital, the room is at once hysterically evacuated by family members who scoop up every possession in a matter of seconds and fly the premises. While it’s not a lucky thing to witness, the shared attitudes toward health, disease, life, and death, that one can see every day in the hospital provide a fascinating glimpse into some of the more fundamental aspects of a foreign culture.

When I reflect on this trip, I am amazed at how much I learned. From gaining skills normally reserved for medical students to sharing meals in the homes of Malagasy families to being allocated full responsibility to treat patients in the field, the scope of new experiences was edifying, sometimes to the point of exhaustion.

Yet I am infinitely glad for having chosen to pursue this volunteer stint, and I would press each and every reader to consider volunteer travel as a frugal, more constructive and more stimulating alternative to a normal itinerary. After all, it was only through developing trusting friendships with Malagasy villagers and townspeople that I was able to know more of the country than the azure coast and the forests filled with hidden lemurs.